5.22.2012

Ever had one of those days? You know the ones. The “not enough hours in the day” kind of days. The “thanks for volunteering me for that project” days. The “why are you driving 20 miles under the speed limit when I’m late” days. The days that, right from the start, you know by the end of it you’ll be stress eating cookies by the handful and watching episodes of Glee on Hulu. (Or maybe that’s just how I deal.) We’ve all had them. And for those days, when you want nothing more than a cookie or five and some mindless TV to decompress, these are the cookies for you.

Today was one of those days for me. Way too much going on at work, and never feeling like I was on top of any of it. From lunch on, all I could think about was coming home and immediately baking these cookies. I made them for the first time last week, but I’ve just been itching for another reason to bake them. Today was that perfect reason.

Believe me when I say these are probably some of the easiest cookies I’ve ever made. No joke. I timed myself today. From walking in my front door to shoving these in the oven—18 minutes. 18 minutes! And I only used 2 bowls, 1 measuring cup, 1 measuring spoon, and a spatula to make them, along with ingredients I can almost guarantee you probably already have in your kitchen. Seriously minimal prep for these babies.

And they’re so good! A crunchy exterior with a soft chewy center—they’re little bite-sized pillows of peanut buttery goodness. There’s no butter in them, so they don’t spread much, which means these little guys are dangerous. They’re on the small side, so you’ll find yourself popping these cookies like candy. Before you know it, you’ve eaten half the batch! And you’re not even through the first episode of Glee yet! (Or again, maybe that’s just me.)

So next time you’re having one of those days (like when all your perfectly sharp post pictures look slightly blurry after uploading, no matter what you do.. grr!), or just scrambling because you forgot it was your turn to bake for the class party, don’t turn to the “break and bakes” or the cookie dough logs. All it takes is 20 minutes, a couple utensils, and some pantry staples to whip up deliciousness from scratch.

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, stirring with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Add dry ingredients, about a third at a time, folding into the peanut butter mixture until well combined.
4. Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl. Using a heaping tablespoon or a 1-inch cookie scoop, roll dough into a ball, then roll in sugar to coat. Place dough on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, 10 minutes. Let cool on pan for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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comments:

Its definitely one of those days when I go to try these out and realize I only have, at most, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter left in my house. The sound great I'll be getting more peanut butter tomorrow!

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The Busty Baker is a newly 30-something retail slave who spends most of her downtime covered in flour in her tiny apartment kitchen, compulsively checking Twitter, and talking to her cat. Someday she'll figure out what she wants to do with her life, but until then, she'll continue to pawn her baked goods off on anyone who will take them.